Cragged boughs reach skyward, arms stretched,Straining for the light,for that blistering blue,For the mirror-bright facet of a jewel. Fingers splay wide but the wind buffets joints,Bending them to the breaking point.Trunks break like brittle bones.Arms crack and splinter under the strain. Twigs shed like so many feathers,Littering avenue and forest floor with pine-thick fronds,The discarded…
Recently, my kids and I took a trip to our local science museum to see a planetarium show and an IMAX film. The films featured opposite corners of our universe: the planetarium show catapulted us through space to the rusty crags of Mars, while the IMAX special plunged us into caves that glittered like forests…
For years, read-aloud time was the beating heart of our homeschool. From the time my kids were toddlers, they’d tolerate academics because they knew that once they finished practicing homophones and math facts, we’d get to the good stuff — our “Cozy Up Reading Time,” during which they’d each grab a snack, I’d grab a…
The term “apologetics” often evokes thoughts of high academia: scholars in tweed jackets strolling through the Gothic archways of a university campus, or experts with slightly unkempt hair debating from opposite podiums. On a more personal level, it can call to mind books that have shaped us, or expositions of Scripture that have guided us…
Over the past few years our family has enjoyed The Gospel Coalition’s series of picture books, beginning with Betsy Childs Howard’s Arlo and the Great Big Cover Up and Polly and the Screen Time Overload. With whimsical storytelling and charming illustrations, both books offered kids practical guidance rooted in Scripture in a fresh, engaging way…
Note from the author: This article first appeared on desiringGod.org in 2017. For many of us, creating and venturing into stories with our kids springs from a yearning to guide them to His light. I hope this reflection captures that yearning. My beloved ones, For nine months, your world began and ended with the contours…
When I cozied into a chair and propped a cup of tea onto my knee to read Isabel Chenot’s West of Moonlight, East of Dawn, I already knew the story would stir me to wonder and sorrow. I’ve relished sharing multiple renditions of the old folktale with my kids, from “East of the Sun, West…
For the past three years, our family has celebrated the end of summer with a week in the mountains at the same off-the grid cabin. Over time, certain features of the place have woven themselves into our memories, like familiar friends with whom we can’t wait to reunite. We all delight in the view of…
Most families are well-versed in the power of the story to enchant and enliven young minds. We’ve all watched our kids’ eyes widen when the eagles save Bilbo, when Charlotte spins her first message, and when Charlie catches his first glimpse of the chocolate factory. The riches of stories don’t limit themselves to bedtime and…
This article first appeared on desiringGod.org. How the Best Stories Point Kids to Christ For the past two years, the realities of life in a pandemic have posed enormous challenges for parents. In the best cases, masks and testing, remote learning and limited childcare have strained family rhythms and routines. In the worst, COVID has claimed…
From the first moments my kids strung together sentences that revealed their inner worlds, I’ve delighted in the whimsy and richness of their imaginations. First, characters from picture books would become their imaginary friends. Then, I’d walk by their rooms and smile when I glimpsed them holding court over a crowd of stuffed animals, a…
My kids’ rock-climbing instructor gaped, incredulous. Just weeks earlier, my daughter had screamed with terror halfway up the kids’ bouldering wall. Now she clung with a single hand to the topmost hold of an autobelay route, grinning ear to ear. Along with her brother, she belted out a chant unknown to anyone else in the…
